1st class postage is included in our quotes. You will need to arrange other postal or courier services with your translator

Our translators regularly provide certified UK translations. For more information or a free quote with an exact price and the expected date of delivery please contact the translator offering your language combination.

Types of documents for which you may need certified UK translation services

Documents for use in a court of law

Bank statements

Curriculum Vitae

School certificates/reports, diplomas and other academic qualifications

Birth, death and marriage certificates

Divorce decrees

Wills/testaments

Medical reports

Documents needed for immigration purposes

No claims discount certificates

Police certificates, DBS certificates (formerly CRB)

And any other document an agency may require from you

The UK certification process

1 Choosing the right translator for the job in hand

Which type of certification do you need?

Clients are often uncertain whether they need a certified, notarised or sworn translation of an official document for use in the UK or whether an “ordinary” translation will do. The answer to this question must be sought from the authority asking you for the translation. They are the ones to decide what kind of translation and which level of certification are acceptable. Once you have obtained advice from the office in question, visit our directory of independent professional translators to find the translator who fulfills your requirements.

Self-certified UK translations may be carried out by translators who are members of a professional body such as the Institute of Linguists or the ITI. Membership entitles a translator to certify their own translations. All our translators are a member of at least one professional body.

In which country should a certified translation originate?

Please note that UK certified, notarised or sworn translations of official documents will be acceptable to UK authorities. As a rule, it is best to have a certified translation done in the country for which you need them. However, some employers, government agencies or authorities may accept translations from the country in which the documents originated. Please obtain this information from the proper authority before hiring a translator.

2 Obtaining a quote

1. Provide the translator with a copy of your document

For a precise quote, a translator needs to see the document(s) that you want them to translate. In the UK there is usually no need to send the original document to the translator. However, you will need to send the original to the relevant authorities with your certified translation.

2. Understand your quote

How does a translator arrive at a price for a certified translation in the UK?

Apart from the obvious time needed to carry out a translation, there are many hidden aspects to certified translations. Many of these mean that the translator spends longer on a certified translation than they would on a similar translation which does not need certification. What is more, there are extra costs.

Documents having features like stamps and signatures makes them non-machine-readable. This, in turn, makes them more labour intensive (CAT tools not usable)

The need to provide hard copies to clients and not just sending off an email

Visit to a notary public for a sworn/notarised translations

Visit to the post office for special delivery/signed for

3. Disbursements

On top of these costs, translators may also incur disbursements. These costs paid out on behalf of the client will always be clearly shown in a quote and on the invoice.

3 Agreeing on job specifications

1 Deadline

The deadline needs to allow time for the translation, the certification process and the posting time. For a notarised translation, you need to allow time to visit the notary (they may not be available every day).

2 Type of certification needed

You need to specify whether you require a certified, notarised or sworn translation.

3 Additional copies of certified translations

Authorities may not return the certified documents you send to them. You may need more copies of the same in future. Ask your translator to send you more than one copy. This tends to come at a relatively low cost to you.

4 Completing the translation process

Once the translator has translated your document(s), they will email them to you, so you can check that they are correct. (Please be aware that translators have to translate what’s written in the document. They cannot “correct” errors made by registrars.)

Once you ok the proof, the translator will certify the translation in whatever way you agreed upon in advance and post the certified UK translation to you.